Mark Lifman demands public apology from former Beerhouse owner

Alleged underworld figure accused of murder Mark Lifman demands a public apology from former Beerhouse owner Randolf Jorberg for claims he made following a Carte Blanche revelation, Cape Town etc. defeated.

Also read: ‘Extortion, intimidation and blackmail’ lead to closure of Beerhouse

On 31 July, the iconic Beerhouse announced it would close its doors following death threats. In September 2020, Jorberg called on other business owners in Cape Town’s CBD to “unite against extortion, intimidation and racketeering,” as several businesses were reportedly held hostage by being forced to pay protection money to underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack’s gang.

Since then, Jorberg has led a nomadic existence due to death threats and he confirmed that Beerhouse’s closure was linked to a Carte Blanche revelation in which he spoke about the murder of one of his employees in 2015.

Jorberg said in his statement about the closure of his business that the extortion began in 2013. He said he paid R2,000 a month, in addition to “a few hundred businesses in the city”.

“One guy said if I pay them I can call them if a group ever comes in that’s too big for our own doorman and is acting unruly. I had to tell him that in the two years I’ve been in business the only time my doorman has had to deal with a group that’s too big to handle was when he came in a few days earlier with eight big guys,” he added.

“The danger they’re protecting you from is themselves. That’s what makes it a clear extortion. I believe that’s what killed him (staff member), my decision not to pay.”

He mentioned Mark Lifman, a notorious underworld figure who has been linked to the alleged Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome ‘Donkie’ Booysenas one of the perpetrators.

“The closure of a beer house after 11 years is hopefully a turning point in the history of extortion in South Africa. Hopefully one day I can return home to Cape Town feeling safe and knowing we made a difference,” Jorberg said on social media.

‘It is rare that the closure of a bar is on the front page of Cape Town’s largest newspaper, the Cape Argus, the trending topic on Google, the most read article on Daily Maverick and many other media outlets reporting on it.

‘Speaking from abroad, beyond the reach of #MarkLifman, #NafizModack and their gangs, means that even though Beerhouse has ended, my voice will not be silenced.’

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However, Lifman’s lawyer sent Jorberg a formal notice on Wednesday, accusing him of making defamatory statements.

“Your statement that “Mark Lifman must pay for his crimes” directly and unequivocally establishes our client’s guilt with respect to unspecified crimes,” the letter said.

‘This statement assumes our client’s criminality and demands retaliation, which influences public opinion and damages our client’s reputation by publicly labeling him as a criminal.

“The demand for “payment” for alleged crimes further implies that our client has been guilty of serious misconduct, which undermines his character and integrity without due process.”

Michael Strauss, Lifman’s attorney, said News24 that the scope of Jorberg’s ‘defamatory statements is extensive and has caused and will continue to cause significant reputational damage to our client’.

The letter also called for a public apology and a retraction of Jorberg’s statements.

“You shall retract the statements from any social media platform on which they are published and which are under your control within seven days of receipt of this letter, and in any event no later than September 4, 2024,” the letter reads.

This week, Jorberg took to Facebook to ask for a pro bono lawyer to formally open a case against Lifman and Hussein Taleb for intimidation and extortion leading to murder.